Cafe Latte Rhapsody: Special Memories
by AZ1087653
Summary: Sometimes it's the words left unspoken that created the deepest memories. I noticed there wasn't a Cafe Latte Rhapsody option under manga so I requested it. Hopefully I will be moving this and any further chapters to there once it is created. T for AS
1. No Words Necessary

I looked for this title under the manga and could not find it anywhere so I requested the title be created. This story takes place after the manga ends and I am keeping it open because I may add more at a later time. I like Café Latte Rhapsody, I find it a charming little story. I looked for other stories about these characters and couldn't find any, so I thought I would write my own after reading how others had used the characters as cameos in other such fandoms.

Disclosure: I don't own. Any questions?

/GG/

Special Memories: No Words Necessary

From the vantage point of inside the room one could tell the sun was rising because of the thin strip of light that was making its way into the room. If anyone in the room had been awake they could have seen the dust particles floating in the tiny ray of sunlight as if suspended in mid-air. The chorus of bird song outside the window as another indication in that a new day was starting. Various species of aviary creatures were creating a dissonant harmony that either was music to the ears of some or so much unnecessary racket to others.

All of this was missed by the occupants of the room, who had fallen asleep the prior night, wrapped up in each other's arms, listening to a symphony of bullfrogs croaking the wee hours of the night away. The smaller of the two, brown hair messy and definitely slept on, was spooned against the taller of the occupants on the futon. The taller of the two, who had managed to keep his hair in check somehow, was breathing in the scent of his boyfriend's hair and the musk of sex that still lingered even hours after the tryst ended.

The sun's ray slowly snaked its way into the room and ended up falling on one eye of the smaller man, causing him to stir and turn into the chest of his partner. The movement was enough to cause the brilliant sleep to diminish and the young man ended up rousing from sleep in a sluggish manner that would have made a sloth jealous. Damn the night for disappearing so quickly.

He opened his eyes and looked up to see his partner's slightly open mouth breathing evenly with a tiny line of drool stopping on the youth's chin. This sight caused the man to smile as he tried to reach up and wipe the saliva away before gravity took hold and the fluid fell onto his hair. Serizawa realized that even though he had been able to turn, that movement had locked him into a tight embrace that wasn't about to let up until his gentle giant decided to wake up himself.

Not to be deterred in any way, the lithe man tried to turn the other way just a bit in hopes that the movement would cause Keito-kun to loosen his vice-like grip. Serizawa had no problems with the boy being overly clingy after sex, unless he had to go to the bathroom. Unfortunately this was such a time and the need for a different type of release started to weigh on Serizawa's mind.

A bounty of options ran through his mind on how to get himself out of his current predicament. One, push the loveable oaf off and jump up faster than Keito-kun could recapture his prey. Two, talk to the boy until he woke up, thus letting Serizawa free so he could pee. Three, kiss his chest until he awoke, but that would put him in the mood for a repeat of the prior night and the need to urinate was rather strong.

Serizawa opted for the second option as it would be the safest.

"Keito-kun…" he whispered softly. "Are you awake yet?"

No answer.

"Keito-kun." This time a little louder. "I need to get up now Keito-kun."

This earned a slight mumble of unintelligible design.

Serizawa sighed with a smile on his face. He had been through this before and knew the youth would eventually wake up and immediately blush redder than a strawberry and apologize as if his life depended on it.

"Keito-kun." He used his normal speaking voice. "I really need to get up and use the bathroom."

This earned a bigger response. "Seri-san…uhhhhh…I love you Seri-san." The last part was said in such a way the man was worried his boyfriend had fallen into REM sleep again.

"I really don't want to wet the bed Keito-kun, we are both naked after all." Serizawa said with a sigh.

At these words the boy's eyes shot open as the words sunk in. Immediately all of the color drained from his face and he released his grip on his older lover only to cover his face in embarrassment. This action startled Serizawa since it was completely unexpected.

"Keito-kun?" He asked softly as if speaking louder would cause the other to shatter into a million tiny shards.

"I didn't mean to wet the bed Seri-san. I don't remember the last time that happened."

Serizawa could hear the tears in the other's voice as he realized that only part of what was spoken had registered when Keito had been asleep. This made him feel like an ass and he did the only thing he could think of. He wrapped his free arms around his younger beau and pulled him closer.

"Keito-kun, you didn't wet the bed." He leaned in and kissed the large hands covering the face of the one he loved. "I need to go to the toilet or I am going to wet the bed."

Tsuda MacLeod, or Keito-kun, as the elder called him, heard this information and took a few more moments to register that there was no wet feeling near his crotch or buttocks. This only embarrassed him in a different way, but he slowly lowered his hands till he was able to look into the face of the futon's other occupant. He lowered his gaze away from the eyes that were drinking him in.

"I'm sorry Seri-san, I jumped to conclusions again without thinking."

Serizawa suppressed a chuckle as he placed his hands on Keito-kun's face and brought tilted his head so their gazes locked again. The elder then smiled and placed a reassuring kiss on Keito's frowning lips.

"There is nothing to be sorry for, Keito-kun. If anyone should be sorry it should be me for waking you like that and scaring you."

This caused both men to blush, but neither looked away since the sincerity in both sets of eyes was more than enough to make up for the misunderstanding.

After a minute or so more of silently regarding one another Serizawa spoke up. "Will you wait here for me for a few minutes?" Then he added. "Unless you need to use the toilet too." It was first thing in the morning after all.

"I was up an hour or so ago Seri-san. I am fine." Keito said shyly.

Serizawa smiled and jumped up fast enough to cause his head to spin and he padded to the toilet. Keito turned an even darker shade of red as he watched the cute little ass move away from him as he remembered what that ass had done to his nether regions less than twelve hours prior. The flashback, not surprisingly, caused his blood to quiver and he felt the sensation end at his penis. His appetite for his smaller lover had not dwindled at all in their time together and even a passing thought could cause the appendage to stand at attention and start shooting off like a cannon in a parade. His lack of control embarrassed the youth to no end and he hid his face behind a pillow once he heard the water turn off; an indication that Serizawa-san was returning to the room.

He felt the older man slip under the covers but he refused to look him in the eye. Maybe Seri-san would think he had fallen back asleep or disappeared?

"Keito-kun?" The boy felt a hand brush through his hair and the touch alone caused him to shiver in both excitement and mortification. "Keito-kun, what's the matter now?"

He didn't want to answer, but he mumbled into the pillow, "Aim awrd."

Serizawa giggled and tried to move the pillow away so he could hear the answer. "What?" He asked, inching closer.

The movement alone answered the question he had without the use of words. It was hard to miss the growing erection he felt as it brushed his flaccid organ. Feeling his young lover's need caused his own to shoot to life and for a moment the two just let the tips have a sword fight under the thin sheets.

"Keito-kun, do you want to?" Serizawa asked quietly, knowing full well what the answer would be before he even formed the question in his head.

"Mm hu." Was the answer he received.

"You're going to have to lower the pillow then."

The elder knew that even though his young lover had become more knowledgeable in the ways of sex , he was still young enough that it took a little coaxing if the youth was already overly embarrassed. This was one of those cases and Serizawa knew he needed to treat the matter with the utmost delicacy. He loved his giant and he wanted all of their love making to create special memories and meanings for both of them.

Sometimes all one could do was ask. "Keito-kun…"the pillow still hadn't moved. "Please make love with me."

No other words were necessary as the youth lowered the pillow and nodded shyly at the elder, then pulled him in close.


	2. Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Anyone who has attempted to get out of bed after breathtaking morning sex will say that it is not the easiest of endeavors. The post coital feel of a lover holding on for dear life is a sign of a certain type of happiness. Needless to say, neither Serizawa nor Keito-kun wanted to leave the futon and head about the day's requirements. Both wanted to remain in the comfort of each other's company and forget that there was anything beyond the door of the bedroom. The real world was knocking on the door with a sledgehammer though, so both ended up rising, showering, eating, and heading on their respective ways after a chaste good-bye kiss before opening the door. Once they left the apartment and went a number of blocks Serizawa turned right and Keito-kun turned left. Neither noticed the other turn and look at the other as they walked further away from one another.

Serizawa made his way to the bookstore and walked through the rows of shelves filled with books that were above his reach. He would never get over how many books the store included. Books were such a magical thing to the young man; capable of taking anyone on an adventure completely different from life, even if just for a short time.

It took only moments for the clerk to don his work apparel and make his way toward his section of the store. Without even having to look at the schedule he knew what he needed to do the job was so engrained in his mind. First would come checking the shelves for any loose books that needed to be put back in the correct spot. Then he would put out any new arrivals that had come in the night before. Third would find the small man cleaning around the shelves and making the store look presentable. All while this was going on he would be assisting customers as once they were within eyesight he needed to drop what he was doing and ask if anyone needed any help.

The chores were tedious and mundane, but that was the job description and Serizawa intended to do his menial job with the utmost honor he could muster. It wasn't just himself he needed to honor anymore, or even just his family. Now he had Keito-kun who looked up to the older man and Serizawa didn't want to dishonor the man who stood by his side, even at the worst of times, by doing a poor job.

The clerk was in the process of putting a few stray books back where they lived when Okano rounded the corner and got into the young man's face.

"I don't want to start spreading any sort of stories, but there has been a girl here looking for you." His co-worker whispered. "She's rather tall and quite the looker I am told. I don't know how often she's come by, but maybe you have a conquest."

Serizawa rolled his eyes and sighed. His dutiful co-worker was more than aware of his orientation, so in light of that piece of information, she must have been teasing him.

"I'm not joking though. She has apparently asked for you at least three times in the past week. Is there something you're not telling me?" Okano give a sly wink and headed off toward her section of the store.

Okay, so she wasn't lying. That left the question; who was asking for him by name? Serizawa spent a short time pondering this question until a customer came forward and started asking for a book on MRIs, at which point the sales associate housed in the petite package came out and it was all business.

/GG/

Lunch time came and went without any incident. Keito-kun had to meet with his study group, so Serizawa ate alone after reading the three text messages the younger man had sent after every one of his classes had ended. Each message caused the man to blush and he could just see the shaking fingers of the sender as the tall boy attempted to type out the characters on the phone. Even in the short amount of time the two had been together, Serizawa had come to learn the student's little quirks just as well as his quirks were learned by the other.

It was during the two o'clock dead time that he was called to the front of the store where a lady was standing off to the side. He watched her as she watched him make his way to the check-out counter where the associate nodded to the blond who was a number of centimeters taller than he. That was when Serizawa recognized the girl. She was the one who liked Keito-kun while the poor sap had been totally oblivious to her advances.

Still, she was in a bookstore, so one had to keep it professional.

"Hello. I'm Serizawa-san. Can I help you?" He asked with a respectful bow.

The girl gazed him over and blinked a few times. Then started to speak, "Can I speak to you in private Serizawa-san?" She asked.

"Uh…sure." He wasn't quite sure what needed to be said in private, but he went with her anyway after getting the nod from his manager.

He followed her to a corner of the store where no one was reading and pointed out a cushy chair she could sit on if she so desired. She did and he sat on the armrest of the chair directly across from her. The silence that followed was rather uncomfortable until she began to speak; then the level of comfort completely disappeared.

"I found out about you from Keito-chan…" There was no way this was going to end well. "I wanted to make my intentions clear."

The clerk was at a loss for words. Surely if Keito-kun had mentioned him to her she would have been made aware of their relationship.

"I'm afraid I don't quite understand…"

"My name is Tazaki, you can call me Tazaki-san."

"Okay." Serizawa nodded. "What exactly did Keito-kun tell you?"

"He said that he likes you very much and you make him happy."

Internally the man smiled to hear that Keito was telling people how much he, with his lack in personality, was making the big oaf happy. Externally he kept his poker face in check.

"I don't think someone like you can keep him happy though. So I am here to request that you break it off with him so he can move on and I can pursue him."

Well that wasn't beating around any sort of bush at all. Blunt and to the point, the words felt like a slap on the face with a spiked shoe. It took a few moments of reeling before Serizawa was ready to respond.

"Did you ask him about his feelings before speaking to me?" He asked simply.

"I am speaking to you as the elder of the group. Keito-chan is very naïve and childish to the ways of the world and being with someone like you in a romantic sort of way is a corrupting influence. He has never had a girlfriend and with you in the picture he will never have a chance to see if he prefers girls to boys."

The thing that bothered Serizawa about this whole conversation was that she was right. Keito-kun was very young and just learning about himself; then again there were times that even at 23 Serizawa was learning about his own self too. He couldn't deny her sound logic, no matter how much it hurt to hear.

When he didn't immediately respond she continued. "Eventually he will realize it was a mistake and it will hurt far less if it's broken off now rather than later."

Serizawa felt as if a lead-tipped poison arrow had just shot him in the heart. He blinked soundly before speaking.

"Tazaki-san, I don't mean any disrespect because I do understand where you're coming from…I really do. But I think it's in rather poor taste to push yourself into something or to try and break it off when one of the party isn't here to speak for himself. I know that Keito-kun is overly shy and would probably be burying his head in his hands right now with embarrassment at this conversation, but I also think he's capable of making his own decisions. Yes, he's 19 and subsequently still very young in many ways, but it's his own decision to make, not yours or even mine." He took a deep breath before he continued because he wanted the next sentence to be said with as much conviction as he could muster even though she had effectively knocked him on his ass. "I don't for one moment believe that what Keito-kun and I have is a mistake and I can say openly that I care deeply for him and his wellbeing. If our relationship does turn out to be a mistake and we part ways, well that is for us to decide and no one else."

Serizawa felt a sense of pride well up inside of his heart as he spoke those words. Normally not the most articulate when it came to certain things, he knew his stance on the issue needed to be made so she would back off and let himself and Keito-kun figure things out together.

Tazaki sighed and slightly rolled her eyes. "I had a feeling you would react in this manner, but I will not give up. I don't believe you can offer him what I can offer him. I believe he is just going through a phase and will snap out of it at some point."

The conviction in her voice was rather alarming and the stone cold stare of her eyes could have frozen hell over in a matter of moments, but Serizawa intended to stay strong and not let this creature dampen his spirits. On more than one occasion he had wondered if the happy ending Keito-kun had asked about would happen, or if the boy would suddenly get tired of the indecisive older man. Then the youth would do something extraordinary like call at that exact moment with a shy reminder that he loved him, or show up with a latte in his hand to give to his older lover. It never ceased to amaze him that the kindred nature of his and Keito had grown exponentially on a daily basis.

"In other words Serizawa-san, I won't give him up." She said in a harsh tone. At this the woman rose and walked out without so much as a by your leave. Serizawa was left in her wake with his heart thumping a hundred miles a minute and sweat dripping down his back.

The buzzing of his mobile jarred his senses and he answered the phone.

"Hello Keito-kun." He didn't even have to look at the caller ID.

"Seri-san. I wanted to call and…" Keito stopped abruptly which probably meant he had an audience and had shied away from continuing for a time.

"I understand Keito-kun. I love you too." Normally Serizawa wasn't much for public displays of affection in any manner in front of other people, but since only one other person was in his vicinity he didn't seem to care at that moment.

He could almost hear the blush coat the younger man's face through the wireless telephone and it made him smile to know he could bring his loveable giant to such a state.

"I'll see you soon Seri-san," came the shy answer.

The line disconnected and Serizawa found himself stuck between a rock and a hard place. Keito-kun didn't like any sort of confrontations and tended to shy away from anything that involved such that would embarrass him. This situation would embarrass him to no end. The two options were to not say anything, which Serizawa felt would be akin to lying. He didn't want to lie or put on the front of lying because he cared too much about Keito-kun to leave him in the dark.

On the other hand, informing the youth would make it more difficult to function in the school setting. If Keito knew this girl's intentions he would go out of his way to avoid her and thus, make schooling that much more difficult to deal with. The school setting was already difficult for the impossibly shy man, and while it didn't seem possible to further himself into the realm of shyness, Serizawa knew anything was possible.

He slowly closed his phone as he watched the door the girl had left through not five minutes prior. The day had started out so positive and now it was spiraling downward. Being stuck between a rock and a hard place was not where Serizawa had wanted to end his day.


	3. Make New Memories

Make New Memories

Years of practice had helped to cultivate all the noise Keito heard when he went somewhere into a sort of soundtrack to his life. Instead of incessant chattering from passersby and the noise of the vehicles that littered the roadway all the young man heard was faint white noise. Many people have the ability to tune out anything except for the thoughts floating around within the brain. Keito-kun had that ability but he preferred to at least have a splash of the sound that surrounded him.

The boy had learned early on to not dwell on what he heard since there were times when ignorance had found a step to his ear. Quite often someone would make some sort of comment regarding his height or the 'scary' expression that adorned his face. When he was younger these comments were what caused his shy persona to take hold. At times he wondered what would have happened had people just ignored him and let him be. Would he be an outgoing type or would that shyness have become him anyway? Riri-chan was constantly telling him to ignore what other people said and to not think about things that would never happen. Didn't everyone wonder at times though; what if? Seri-san had made a comment once about how he wondered what his life would have been like had Shiraishi not stuck his tentacles into him. So if he was wondering then Keito thought it was okay if he did as well.

The grounds of the university loomed ahead of the student as he walked with a moderate pace. His morning was full and then he had a study group so he wasn't going to be able to walk to the bookstore to see Seri-san. Plus his parents had been trying to get him to return home on more than one occasion. He didn't quite have the nerve to tell him that the person who was allowing him to stay over was more than just a friend. The thought of telling his parents worried him to no end and was the only secret he'd kept from Serizawa thus far because he didn't want to burden the older man with frustrating things. If he dropped by his parents house after his final class then he could still rush to Seri-san before the elder went to sleep.

Sleep. That was one thing he would never have thought possible with someone else in such close proximity. In no way had he ever envisioned himself being able to sleep with someone else on the same futon. Now, less than a few months later he couldn't sleep without the smaller man. On days when he was forced to sleep at his parent's house he either spent the night tossing and turning, searching for that warmth and the smell of Seri-san's shampoo or he would fidget so much he'd get up and pace the room in hopes he would wear his body out enough to fall asleep. In the blink of an eye the tall, shy man had found his reason for living and when said reason wasn't within holding distance his body reacted in a negative way which caused the youth to be all the more clingy the next time he was near his partner.

"Hey, watch…"

The voice stopped as Keito returned to reality from his internal dialog. A senior from his school had apparently stopped moving and Keito-kun didn't, causing a mild collision and a few dropped books.

"Sorry senpai." Keito stuttered as he reached down for the books.

"I swear Tsuda-kun, your head is further in space than an asteroid. That person you're seeing keeping you up at night and causing you to be tired or something, or is all that sex just going to your brain?" The man asked with a sigh.

The forward words from his senpai caused Keito-kun to burn a brilliant shade of scarlet and duck his head in utter embarrassment as he handed the books to the other. He couldn't even begin to form coherent thoughts after such a brusque comment. This wasn't lost on the others who had slowed their pace just to eavesdrop on the conversation. Keito didn't really get a chance to try to bolt though when Tazaki-san entered from stage right and linked arms with the mortified man.

"Jesus Matsumoto, do you have any class at all? Leave Keito-chan alone. He doesn't want to talk about…" She stammered. "Sorry, I forgot his name, what's your boyfriend's name again Keito-chan?"

Keito didn't want to answer the question any more than he wanted the girl to be touching him, but he was too embarrassed to move away. "Serizawa-san." He replied softly enough that only she heard.

"That's right." She said as if hit by an epiphany. "Serizawa-san may have latched onto Keito-chan, but I am sure he is a gentleman."

Keito nodded slowly, not looking at either Tazaki-san or Matsumoto-senpai. While Seri-san had a certain child-like quality to his personality, he was always respectful, unless he was teasing the youth. The teasing always caused Keito to turn inward and then the two ended up having a passionate make-up session to put any embarrassment behind them.

"Do you actually approve of their homosexual relationship Tazaki?" The bull-headed Matsumoto asked, ignoring the fact that poor Keito-kun was right there and could hear every word.

"What does my opinion matter?" The girl retorted, keeping a firm hold on Keito which kept him rooted on the spot wishing for an out of some sort. "It's not like it involves me. If Keito-kun enjoys that type of activity then who am I to get in the way?"

The shy giant wished he could sink into the ground and disappear. Just because he was shy and didn't like confrontation didn't mean he needed to be disrespected. With all this talk of him and Seri-san it was a wonder that his parents hadn't found out through gossip-mongers.

"I'm surprised you are willing to say that since everyone around here can tell you've been sniffing around this giant moron."

Keito could feel tears start to swim in his eyes.

"Don't talk about things you have no clue about!"

The argument was causing her grip to get tighter on his arm and he could feel his pulse where her fingers were pressing into his skin. He could also hear his heartbeat over their talking and the need to start hyperventilating was fast approaching. Using the beat of his heart he blocked out the argument and focused on Seri-san's face adorned with a smile. Whenever Keito-kun felt so uncomfortable he felt the need to pass out he would envision his lover and hide away in his happy place until it was safe to return.

The poor guy didn't even hear the end of the argument or feel himself being pulled in the direction of the nearest building. He was so shattered at that point he couldn't even find the energy to cry let alone figure out who was pulling on his arm. The next thing he knew was the sterile room of the campus nurse's office and the feel of a cool rag on his forehead.

The change in scenery startled him and he sat up so fast it caused his head to spin. The nurse walked in a moment later with a glass of warm tea.

"Tsuda-kun, do you know where you are?" She asked softly.

He nodded his head in shame as the tears he had felt earlier began to fall from his eyes to his jeans only to be soaked into the material. The day had barely started and he was already a basket-case. Even the beautiful morning he and Seri-san had shared couldn't bring him all the way back to peace.

Tentatively he took the tea from the nurse's hand and brought it to his lips. The liquid was warm and calmed his insides in a slow manner. He finally took a deep breath and wiped the tears from his eyes. Crying was unbecoming of someone of his age, this much he knew, but then again.

After he downed the rest of the tea he took out his mobile. The clock on the wall said he'd missed his first class and he wanted to message Seri-san and pretend his morning hadn't been ruined. All his troubles seemed to fade away once he opened the phone though and the nurse was even surprised at the aura that surrounded the boy seemed to change from black and sad to yellow and cheerful in a matter of moments. On his phone was a picture message sent from Seri-san. For some reason his smaller partner had taken it upon himself to send a picture of himself holding a latte with the caption of, "when you get home tonight, let's go out and grab a latte and drink it under the stars."

How the man knew just when Keito-kun needed him most was lost on the youth, but one thing was certain, it was those little sporadic messages that caused his heart to burst.

"Tsuda-kun, will you be alright? Do you want me to call Tazaki-san back?" The nurse asked.

"No, thank you." He replied with a shy smile. "I just got exactly what I needed. I think I'll go to class now."

Keito stood up and bowed before turning and leaving the office. While he walked he sent off a message that said his first class was over and that he would love to go on a date with the recipient. His fingers shook as he typed in the message, a normal thing for him since his heart always beat fast when he messaged Serizawa. He just hoped his day went by fast enough for the date to arrive so he could forget about the morning and make new memories.

While bullying wasn't exactly new for the boy, it wasn't something he readily spoke about either. He didn't want to cause Seri-san any worry. So the gentle giant took it with a grain of salt and continued on his day like he hadn't a care in the world. To him, nothing could bring him down for long as long as at the end of the day he could fall asleep next to the person who meant the most to him.


	4. Not Alone

Disclaimer: I don't and never will own. I have not beta-ed this story, so forgive any mistakes. Arigatou minna-san.

/GG/

Not Alone

Aside from the mishap of the morning the rest of Keito-kun's school day was a breeze. Even though he was generally ignored, most people when they did converse with him were at least respectful enough. His first class of the day was missed, but he attended his second and third class, followed by a study group session, and one final class before heading off campus.

His voice was kept silent for the remainder of the morning and he just nodded and spoke simple phrases when necessary during the study group. All of his group mates were coming around and had even started offering to bring him to other activities, which he politely declined since that would mean less time with Serizawa.

When the professor dismissed the final class Keito was in happy spirits and completely giddy about his upcoming date with Seri-san. There was nothing better than drinking a sugary latte with his lover's hand held firmly in his. He silently hoped that the two could sit at the park, sip lattes, and hold hands until the moon was in the center of the night sky casting its pale light upon them. Dreams were meant to be happy and that was a happy dream.

Keito was surprised to see Riri-chan waiting for him at the gate. She was still in high school and his classes ended way before hers, so for her to be showing up it must have been important.

"You are beyond the slowest idiot on campus Keito." She chastised and pointed at her watch. "Your class got out 20 minutes ago, what took you so long?"

"Sorry Riri-chan, I wasn't expecting you today or I would have walked faster." The boy said truthfully. "What are you doing here? Is everything alright?"

The girl sighed and linked arms with her friend. "I know you are going to your house today and I know what's in store. I figured I could come give you a heads up since I seem to be the only one in our little area you've made privy to your little affair with Serizawa-san."

This comment caused the towering student to duck his head in mild embarrassment. "I will tell my parents when the time is right."

"I never hold back with you Keito and I am going to lay it on the line for you, the longer you wait the harder it will be when the truth comes out. I have a feeling there are going to be guests at your house today when you show up for dinner. I am also sure there is a girl who is going to accompany these guests and that both sets of parents are going to try to press for an arrangement."

This news startled Keito-kun who stopped walking and looked at his best friend. "What do you mean? This is the 21st century, who does arranged marriages anymore?"

"People all over the globe still work with arranged marriages, they're just not as common. In your case, you big idiot, it's because you are so shy your parents don't think you will find someone of your own."

All of the happy and cheerful thoughts in Keito's head vanished along with the color in his face. Riri-chan had no reason to lie so he doubted she'd fabricate such an elaborate hoax. On the other hand, his parents wanted grandchildren and to see him settled down, so he wouldn't have put it passed them to try for some arrangement.

"How do you know this?" He finally asked quietly.

"Your mom told my mom today and I happened to overhear on my way out the door. I'll be the first one to say that I am happy for you and Serizawa-san since he can babysit you now and I don't have to, but I think it's about time you came clean and the sooner the better. Have that bookstore clerk come over tonight and he can help you tell your family."

Keito wanted to pass out again for the second time that day. While senpai was being an ass, his parents were on a completely different level. He didn't know how they would react to such news and the conversation on telling them had not really come up with Serizawa-san before. Was it even okay to make such a request of the older man? A fresh set of tears formed in his eyes as he thought about what his parents might say to discourage Seri-san if the man did show up at his house. To the boy, the thought of losing his lover was more than his heart could take and without further ado the tears freely fell.

"Hey!" Ririko snapped in annoyance. "Don't cry before know what is going on. I already told you to speak to Seri-san and tell him what's going on. I am sure he'd drop everything and come to your aid like a white knight."

/GG/

Said white knight was currently returning to work after a strange encounter with Tazaki-san. The idea of what she was talking about was completely over his head and he was beyond confused and had he not been at work he would have thought more about the subject. As it was there was little he could do at that moment, so he went back to work.

There were five boxes of new books he needed to be catalogue, followed by placement on the shelves. This task would take around an hour at which point the day would only have an hour more on the clock. Then he could head off to find food and kill some time before Keito-kun returned from his errands.

Serizawa wouldn't admit this to many people but he always felt giddy when he thought of his loveable giant returning to his home, to sleep in his bed, to kiss him goodnight, and hold him like a comforter.

As he had stated before, his prior partners had all been dead weight and never once thought about their own shortcomings. Keito-kun was anything but dead weight, but always considered himself as such. The self-esteem on that kid was depressing at times, but that cute face when he confessed on a daily bases, when they were locked together in love, or just when he was rambling unnecessary apologies reminded Serizawa on an hourly basis how much he loved him.

The hour passed by quickly followed by most of the next hour. Before the man knew it his shift was almost over and it was time to start the shift change process. Okano was busy doing the last of her shift inventory as were a few other employees who were making way for the college-aged students who worked in the afternoon and evening.

It was when the then that the clerk noticed someone who towered over everyone coming in with the night crew. This individual looked completely nervous in a way that made Serizawa's heart break because something big must have happened if Keito-kun was looking this dejected. Not caring if he was chastised, said clerk walked over to his boyfriend to show him that whatever it was he was not alone.

"Keito-kun," Serizawa said with a slight smile in hopes of helping the boy regain some of his spark. "I am glad you came to see me at the end of my shift." Whatever was wrong could easily cause the younger man to bolt which would be a problem when his older lover followed him.

Keito hung his head and rubbed his hands together. He could do this. The pep-talk Riri-chan had given him earlier was more than enough.

"Um…Seri-san…c-c-cou…" He was having a rather difficult time getting his brain and mouth to function together.

"Keito-kun, would sitting down help you?"

The taller individual shook his head no and continued. "S-S-Seri-san…um…uh…" he continued to stammer and started to turn red with humiliation as his composure started to bleed away faster than the bullet train.

Serizawa knew whatever it was must have been important so to help his younger lover out he reached out and grasped his hand in order to give a reassuring squeeze. He let his fingers linger with the other's for a time until the student dropped his posture into a bow which caused the other to jump back so as not to get clocked in the head.

"Seri-san!" He said with gumption. "P-p-please come and meet my p-parents-s-s tonight."

He'd said it! In the back of Keito's mind he was listening to the Halleluiah Chorus, but while he applauded himself on getting the words out right he was worried about the outburst, as well as what Seri-san's reaction might be. On one hand he didn't want to see the look in his lover's eyes, especially if he had done something wrong in asking. On the other hand, he would need to stand up at some point because he knew he was causing a scene and that made him all the more timid.

The shock came when he finally raised his body and then looked down at the shorter man in front of him. A huge smile adorned the man's face. It wasn't a fake smile, the kind worn to alleviate any sort of dissatisfaction about a situation, this was a true smile reserved only for Keito and the boy knew it.

"You really want me to come meet your parents?" Serizawa was in happy shock since this was the first time anyone had wanted to bring him home.

The other nodded his head slightly and lowered his eyes when he felt all of the other patrons' eyes on the back of his neck. He'd messed up again, but at least he spit the right words out.

"I guess I should get ready to go so I can change before this meeting." The smile on Serizawa's face could be heard in the man's voice. Keito looked up from the floor and the two locked eyes for a brief moment and in that moment he knew that he wasn't alone, nor would he ever be as long as Seri-san was around.


	5. Hope and Happiness Go Hand in Hand

Hope and Happiness Go Hand in Hand

Keito stood in front of his house with Seri-san. Somehow the feeling of his lover next to him had not diminished his apprehension. Seri-san knew his parents were not aware he had taken on a male lover, or any lover for that matter. The calm and collected man beside him was usually a source of comfort that didn't seem to be finding its way into the taller boy's heart.

He looked down at Seri-san, whose face was illuminated by the porch light. This was the face of the man he was so in love with he didn't want to think of the possibility that behind the door there lie a trap in the form of some girl his parents were going to push on him. Had Seri-san not been standing there he would have done an about face and walked away, probably to Riri-chan's house, where the girl was undoubtedly watching from an obscure location.

The student felt like slime in that moment because he had been so nervous he'd neglected to inform the elder what could be on the other side of the door. This feeling made the boy feel like the worst, which only reminded him of when Serizawa had told him he only attracted the worst. In that moment Keito-kun fit that category perfectly and this made him all the more antsy.

"Keito-kun?"

The tall individual looked sharply at the smaller with a grimace.

"If you are that worried I can come back another time." Serizawa said in a soothing voice.

Keito shook his head. "No!" He said louder than he had expected. "I-I-I mean, please don't leave me." Then he added in his head, I can't do this alone and if you leave I may never be able to come back.

Serizawa reached over and grasped the younger's hand in his own as a sign of composure. He didn't know what had caused this abrupt request from his lover, but something must have happened. He recalled his earlier conversation with Keito-kun's classmate and the uneasiness that the tall boy was exuding started to bleed into his own soul. Whatever thoughts had snaked their way into either was starting to cause the world to turn a very dark color indeed.

"Let's go inside." Serizawa said as he reached for the door knocker. He could feel the iron under his hand, but Keito stopped him from knocking.

"This is my house too, so we don't need to knock to enter." Seri-san nodded and hand still entwined within the larger hand of Keito-kun, the two entered the house.

"I'm am home." Keito said clearly but softly. He could hear people talking in the dining area. Obviously people were already present for the meal.

After removing his shoes Serizawa took a good look around. The hallway wasn't overly long and there were three doors on the two sides. The back door, which was open, was obviously the one they were headed towards as that was where the light and sounds came from. The door to his left was open and he could see a computer monitor's screen saver dancing in the darkened room. The two doors on the right were closed.

The walls were painted a slate gray color and the floor was hardwood. A western style table sat off to the side and had two sets of keys. He noticed there were three sets of shoes, one obviously belonging to a man with large feet, and two that were decidedly feminine. Of course in this day and age anyone could have been wearing those ridiculous high heels women seemed so infatuated with.

He realized his hand was still wrapped in Keito-kun's but the way his hand was gripped he doubted he'd be able to remove it if he tried. So he settled for leaving his hand within his boyfriends for the time being. Somehow the hand holding his cleared some of the trepidation in the elder's mind.

A few moments after stepping onto the hardwood floor a woman rounded the corner and stopped in her tracks.

"Keito-chan, you should have told us you were bringing a friend." She admonished before turning into the room and heading the opposite way she had entered from.

Murmurings could be heard as the two figures made their way to the door. Just before the threshold Keito released their hands and gave Seirzawa an apologetic smile before timidly walking into the room. Serizawa heard Keito speak in a tongue he didn't recognize.

Then he heard the boy say, "Tazaki-san?"

This made Serizawa's heart jump a beat. It was too much of a coincidence for there to be two Tazaki-sans. This must have been the girl who came to see him at work today. For a moment the man didn't want to enter the room; he just wanted to leave. He wasn't a coward though and maybe, just maybe, the girl had something to do with Keito's jumpy mood.

Slowly he stuck his head in and bowed at the others in the room. It was easy to see where Keito-kun got his height from as well as his pale complexion. He was the spitting image of his dad and for a moment Serizawa imagined the two of them in twenty years with Keito looking like his father, only cuter and with a shy look on his face.

The others in the room were obviously Tazaki-san's parents. All of them eyed him as he finished entering in the room and bowed, respectfully.

"Nice to meet you all. I am Serizawa Hajime. It's nice to finally meet you Tsuda-MacLeod-san." He kept his head bowed until he felt Keito tap him on the shoulder. Slowly he returned to an upright form only to see all eyes on him in curiosity. That is except for Tazaki-san who didn't seem thrilled to see him.

"Keito-chan, who is this?" The boy's father asked.

"Um…this is Serizawa-san. He works at BE Books near the university." His voice was low and soft as he spoke as he felt every eye boring holes into his person.

"This is the individual who allows you to sleep at his house most nights." This sentence could have been both a statement and a question at the same time.

"Yes, father."

"Ah…" The man stood up and walked forward with pride in his steps. "Serizawa-kun, thank you for taking care of my son. He's a little bit of a hopeless case and it's nice to know he has such good friends looking out for him."

Serizawa chuckled uncomfortably as his hand was shook by the other man. "Not at all sir, it's my pleasure to have him around."

Though the words were meant in a completely innocent way, both Serizawa and Keito blushed at the sentence as if it had another meaning. That morning's round of love being forefront in both their minds.

"Well welcome to our home. I hope coming by tonight didn't inconvenience you in any way. Keito hasn't told us much, but from the way he talks it sounds as if he's completely enamored with you." How the man just stated that as if it wasn't a big deal we will never know.

"Um…thank you sir. I appreciate being invited in to meet you. I have wanted to meet you for a while and the timing just never seemed right."

Serizawa was pulled into the room and introductions were made. He bowed to both the elder Tazaki's and shook hands with Keito-kun's mother. In all honesty he didn't see it being a problem that he was there to meet his parents. They were lovely people and had Tazaki not been present he wouldn't have suspected anything other than finally being introduced as a friend. As it was he had a feeling that Keito-kun had brought him to introduce the man as more.

/GG/

Dinner went by without much in the way of confrontation. Tazaki insisted on sitting next to Keito-kun who did just that and looked miserable the whole time. How a boy could feel so uncomfortable in his own home was over Serizawa's head. Then again, the way Tazaki was behaving it made him rather jealous. The feeling grew exponentially when the girl looked over at him with a sly smile.

"These two kids certainly look cute together, don't they?" Serizawa didn't know which of the women said that, but he did admit, they did look exactly as he did when he'd first seen the two of them. "Keito-chan, you should ask this nice young lady to dinner sometime." Obviously it was the boy's own mother who had spoken.

He then realized exactly what was going on and for a moment his eyes wanted to water as he caught Keito-kun's eye. The boy obviously felt the problem too and looked on the verge of tears himself. The two had an unspoken communication at that time and Serizawa nodded his head that he was fine with coming out to Keito-kun's parents in front of the company and he realized he would need to be the one to take charge because the poor student was in no shape to handle it himself.

Taking a deep breath Serizawa closed his eyes and quickly rehearsed what he had planned to say whenever he'd gotten the chance to meet his lover's parents. It was a good thing he had spent time before rehearsing or he was sure he would make more of an ass of himself then he was about to. Then, with very little confidence, he stood up and bowed in front of the patriarch of the family.

"Tsuda-Macleod-san," he stated with halting conviction. "I would like to formally announce how I feel about your son."

All eyes were trained on the young man as he felt the sweat drip down his back only to be absorbed by his shirt. Now or never.

"Excuse me?" The man asked. "I thought you were Keito's friend."

Serizawa could feel Keito's eyes on him and it gave him the strength to continue on his current path.

"No sir, I am not your son's friend." He looked up slightly and caught Keito's eye. He also saw the scowl from Tazaki-san. "I am more than his friend. I am his boyfriend."

Not a sound could be heard in the room for what seemed like an eternity (which was only about ten or so seconds). During that time Serizawa didn't try to look up at the group until he heard movement to his side.

"I'm sure it's just a phase Tsuda-MacLeod-san. Given the right person I am sure Keito-chan here will choose someone more suiting of him." Tazaki –san stated.

This was followed by more silence for a few more seconds, then Keito spoke up.

"No, Tazaki-san. I love him…a-a-and no one is going to change that." The usually meek individual pushed himself away from the table and got down on his knees in front of his father. Tears were pooling in his eyes and he could feel his heart beating all the way to his finger tips. "Father, I want your permission to be with Seri-san…b-be-because…I-I…love him more than anyone else."

Serizawa-san felt his heart explode in happiness at this confession and he smiled as he slowly stood up to see his poor, towering boyfriend in the child's pose on the floor in front of his father. His soul had been bared for all to see and it made the elder's love for the boy grow all that much more. Serizawa walked over to his partner and knelt down next to him in a submissive pose as well.

"I would also like your permission to remain with your son, sir."

It took a moment for anyone to mention anything, then finally Keito-kun's father spoke up.

"I am not sure how I feel about homosexual relationships, but this is the first time Keito has ever asked for something using his entire essence."

Both young men waited for him to continue from their spots on the floor.

"For the moment I can't give you my blessing until I am able to sort out my feelings…" This caused two hearts to all but crumble. "However…" They stopped crumbling. "Since I can see you two are serious I will hold my thoughts until I can properly understand the situation. You may continue to see one another, just don't do anything to embarrass this family Keito."

With these words Keito sat up and cried his eyes out.

Keito's father looked at his wife and sighed. "He certainly doesn't get this sensitive side from me." He reached over and rubbed his son's hair with a smile. "Serizawa-kun, I ask that you continue to look after my son for the foreseeable future."

"Yes, sir." He replied a little too fast as a blush came across his face and a smile lit his eyes.

The patriarch of the Tazaki clan decided to speak up at this point. "Not that I am comfortable with homosexual relationships, but were any of you women aware of the boy's relationship? I knew something was up when they walked in together." Then he glanced at his daughter. "Were you already aware that Tsuda-kun had someone in mind when you suggested we get together?"

All eyes fell on the girl who didn't shrink back.

"Yes father, I was aware. But they can't remain together in Japan, marriage isn't legal between two men and it dishonors the family. I like Keito-chan and don't mind that he has this type of past-time."

The elder Tazaki shook his head and sighed. "I am disappointed in you. If you were aware of the feelings this young man had for another it was none of your concern. Love doesn't dishonor families, but being selfish does."

She lowered her eyes to avoid looking at her father, but continued to speak. "I'm not going to give up on my love either father. I will wait patiently until he grows up and learns that what he is feeling isn't right."

Serizawa was used to all types telling him that he was gross or that he was a sinner. This very well could have been the first time Keito-kun had heard these lines come from someone's mouth, so he reached over and held his lover's hand again. The gesture was a silent way of saying that they needn't concern themselves with her opinion.

"Tsuda-san, I am sorry, but I think my family and I should be going before my daughter disgraces us anymore." The man stood up and bowed. "Serizawa-kun, Keito-kun, you have my humblest apologies. Keep each other happy."

With those words he whisked his family away before any further embarrassment could occur. The four who remained in the house were at a little bit of a loss as to why they left so early, but it did open the door for a further set of comments.

"Keito-chan, how come you didn't tell us?" His mother asked.

"I didn't know how you would react and I didn't want to cause anyone any frustration." The usually inarticulate man said softly from his position on the floor.

Serizawa, still holding Keito's hand, looked from his lover's mother to his father and back again. There was no malice in either set of eyes, only concern, which was to be expected.

"You'll give me some time, right?" She asked.

"Yes, mother. As much as you want."

She nodded and that was the end of the conversation. All in all the evening went better than it could have gone. While neither of Keito-kun's parents were 100% for the relationship, they weren't against it either. That meant that there was still hope to be had, and where there was hope there was some sort of happiness. Hope and happiness do go hand in hand, after all.


	6. What You See In Me

What You See In Me

After the fun at Keito-kun's house the couple decided to take a walk in the park to visit their favorite coffee spot. Neither had expected the evening to proceed the way it had. The truth of the matter was it had gone better than either had expected. Most families, though they claimed to be supportive, were so traditional that even the thought of their only son choosing to be with another man would have caused major rifts. Neither had let that idea out of their heads quite yet, but they felt better knowing at least one family was going to try.

Since no one was around Serizawa had taken hold of Keito-kun's hand and the two were walking slowly along the path that winded itself through the park. The path would take them by their favorite shop and then lead on toward a bench that the couple had initiated a while back with a heated make-out session in the middle of the night under the snow.

That was the first night Keito-kun had requested Serizawa take him so they could officially belong to each other. Serizawa had never been a seme, so he was more than nervous. The roles were switched around as Keito had explained exactly what to do so the elder didn't feel any more intimidated at being a much smaller top. In the end of that night both had decided that being a seke was more than acceptable, but only on special occasions.

Once they reached their spot, Keito lowered his head and bowed, almost knocking Serizawa in the head.  
"Seri-san!" He all but shouted. "I am so sorry and embarrassed at what happened back there. I knew something was going on, and I needed you to be my security."

Serizawa smiled. He'd had a feeling, for the whole evening really, that he was brought along as Keito-kun's courage.

"I am glad you trust me enough to bring me to your parents and use me as a way to build up your confidence Keito-kun." Serizawa said as he put his hand on the younger man's shoulder.

"You are too nice to me Seri-san." A tear slipped down Keito's face and he used his free hand to wipe it away. "I should have told you."

The elder reached under and wiped another tear away as he pushed his younger lover into a more upright position. No matter what the boy did, it was all innocent enough he couldn't help but fall in love all the more.

"I understand why you did what you did Keito-kun, and I am not mad." He said softly. He was in a position again where if he didn't speak softly it would scare his lover. "Let's just make sure we are more open with each other."

Keito nodded and used his hand to wipe away more tears. If it had been anyone else he would have turned away and walked off as fast as he could. The sincerity in Seri-san's eyes kept him from leaving. If anything they made him want to envelop the smaller man in his arms and make love to him on their bench. He settled for leaning down and placing a kiss on his senior's lips.

"I love you Seri-san. I can't see what you see in me sometimes, but I love you."

Serizawa blushed a deep shade of red and lowered his head slightly. "I feel the same way you do at times Keito-kun. But I know I love you more than I have ever loved anyone else. Maybe it's time you met my parents too."

"Really!" Keito was so excited he dropped his latte onto the cobblestone path. "I dropped it." He stated dumbly.

This caused Serizawa to laugh and he handed his partially drank cup over to Keito-kun. "Yes you did, but we can share. I think we can make this night a special memory to cherish if we share one cup of liquid universe with one another."

Serizawa sat down on the bench and Keito-kun joined him. The two cuddled and shared a cup of latte while pointing out the stars and watching the sun rise in the sky.


End file.
